Labyrinth of Hearts
by Sytrik
Summary: Complete-- Friendless and depressed, Kairi runs away from home, only to come face to face with Ansem. Follows the basic storyline of the movie
1. Wavering Trust

Kairi sat looking out her window at the hardly visible moon. Something about it disturbed her, but she couldn't place what. A car door slammed outside and she looked down to catch a glimpse of her stepmother before she burst into the house. Kairi sighed deeply and clicked her CD player on, she was almost through listening to her favorite song, "Simple and Clean", when her father threw open her door.   
  
"Kairi? Didn't you hear me shouting at you? Your mother and I are leaving now and we wanted to make sure you remember to clean the living room and kitchen today before we get home. We're hosting another party tonight and we want to make sure the house is clean." He said. Kairi was disappointed, but knew better than to show it. "I will." She replied sweetly. "Ah, good. Well, bye then." Her father left and closed her door behind him.   
  
Kairi watched from her window as their car drove out of sight. They were constantly going out on dates and having parties, and she always had to clean up. She hated it. Nothing had been the same after the Heartless. None of the people in town where the same, her parents we're the same, and she had a sneaking suspicion that she wasn't the same either. It distressed her, but there was nothing she could do about it.   
  
She sighed and opened her desk drawer, removing a relatively new picture. Tidus had snapped it, and it depicted her, Sora, and Riku. They were sitting on their usual paopu tree, smiling at the camera and giving each other bunny ears. She turned it over and read the back.  
  
"For Kairi; Happy birthday! We hope you enjoy your presents   
  
and have lots of fun at your party! Sometime we'll even   
  
teach you how to fight, we'll let you win and everything!  
  
~ Love, Sora and Riku *friends forever* "  
  
Kairi laughed quietly as she remembered the day they had given her this, Riku hadn't noticed how bad Sora's hand writing was until he saw the letter just before she got it. Riku had made Sora read it to her before he let him leave. Riku had given her the CD she had just been listening to, and Sora had given her a teddy bear exactly the same shade of red as her hair. She missed them both, and her eyes began to water as she thought of them. Gently, she placed the picture back in the drawer and turned to go downstairs. When she entered the living room, she was horrified, beer bottles and soda cans lay covering the floor and sofa, chips were thrown everywhere, and several people had vomited in the corner! Obviously, these were the remnants of her parents' last party. She sighed and walked into the kitchen, shocked to find that it looked exactly the same! She couldn't stand it, and began crying now, knowing that even if she cleaned it, it would look the same tomorrow morning. I wonder what things would be like if Sora and Riku were still here? She thought. Probably not so bad, she smiled grimly, everything seems better when you have a shoulder to cry on.   
  
She walked out the front door and continued on to the beach. Several people stopped to stare and point at her, no doubt telling their friends the latest rumor about Krazy Kairi. No one had believed her about the Heartless or what really happened to Riku and Sora. Everyone simply thought she had lost her mind. She didn't used to care, but now it began to hurt. She ran down the beach, away from all the staring, pointing people, down to the deserted part of the beach. She then flopped down on her back and watched the clouds go by as she tired to sort out her feelings. She had told Sora that she knew they would always be together, and that she trusted that he would come back to her, but lately, her hope was running out. She had been hurt so much since that day, mistreated by everyone around her since their island was restored. She had trusted people before, and they had hurt her. She knew she shouldn't doubt Sora or Riku, but she couldn't help but think that she was holding on to something that was already gone. She wondered to herself if Sora was even still alive, how could she be sure that he hadn't disappeared with that Heartless world after he had defeated Ansem? She tried not to think about it, but tears were already running down her cheeks.  
  
It was dark by the time Kairi dragged herself home. She knew she was in for it, having not cleaned the living room or kitchen, but she honestly didn't care. She could hear her parents arguing as she walked in the door, they looked up from the living room as she walked towards the stairs. "Kairi! Come over here this instant!" Her father demanded. She obeyed. "Where have you been?" She simply shrugged, " I went for a walk." She replied slowly. "A walk? Why didn't you clean up the living room and kitchen like you said you would? We have company expected in less than ten minutes!! You're grounded! Go to your room and stay there until we say you can come back down!" Her stepmother screeched. Kairi simply turned and walked up the stairs.   
  
She was hurt, she felt like she was completely alone. She didn't have a single friend anymore and she knew it. Angrily, she pulled a messenger bag out of her closet. She began shoving things into it, a change of clothes, the picture Sora and Riku gave her, a box of crackers, and several odds and ends. She looked around her room one last time, and climbed out her bedroom window. 


	2. Unnatural Darkness

Hey everyone! I was so anxious last time to get my story posted, that I forgot to explain some stuff and add the disclaimer, so here goes!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Labyrinth.   
  
I'd like to thank everyone who wrote me reviews already, they were great! I was so happy that people liked my story, that I am posting chapter 2 early.   
  
And also, in case you hadn't noticed, this story does contain spoilers if you haven't beaten the game or seen the movie, and it was written with a total disregard for what I consider to be Kingdom Hearts 2 and 3. And Lastly, I would like to add that many of Kairi's feelings toward her life are reflected from some that I have recently gotten over or just developed. Thank you, and please keep reviewing! I love to hear what you have to say!  
  
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Kairi could barely see in the darkness, moonlight filtering through the now thinning clouds. Leaving her small boat beached in the sand, she went ashore and crawled into the hidden cave which still contained evidence of her childhood with Sora and Riku. Running her fingers over that chalk drawings, she found it painful trying to remember her lost friends. She sat herself down on a rock and cried. Thoughts of her recent fight with her stepmother entered her mind, and she jumped back up cursing. "I hate you! I hate you! You're not my mother, you never will be!! I wish you would all just go away! I wish this whole stupid world would just leave me alone!!" She sobbed as she curled up on the floor. Not noticing the sudden silence around her. After a few minutes, she sat up and opened her eyes. Leaping to her feet, she looked frantically around the cave. All traces of light were gone, and panic began rising in her chest. She calmed herself with the thought that clouds had simply floated in front of the moon, and that soon moonlight would again begin to stream through the openings in the roof of the cave.   
  
This succeeded in calming her until she happened to look down at her feet, noticing that she was fully visible! She yelped and began looking around in panic, realizing that something was very wrong. She had almost gotten a hold of herself, when a large sturdy hand clamped onto her shoulder. She shrieked and spun around. A chill went down her spine as she realized that nothing was there. Moments later, something unseen ran its claws through her hair, then another claw scratched her ankle. She jumped back and whimpered in fright, a sudden wave of giggling erupting around her. Another clawed hand ran from the base of her back to her shoulder blades. Shivering in fright, she spun around, knowing already that nothing was there. Then a small hand grabbed her ankle while yet another pinched her cheek. She screamed and frantically brushed them off. More giggling echoed all around her and she stumbled as she tried to get away from them. Claws and hands began clutching and grabbing at her from all sides, panic filled her and she screamed again. She managed to yank herself free and moments later the giggling stopped.  
  
Confused, she turned to try to detect what was happening, but all her senses seemed clouded in the unnatural dark. She backed into something, and stun around startled. She clamped her hands over her mouth before she screamed, looking up into Ansem's calm face. He smiled at her and giggling began around them again. Ansem glared off into the darkness, apparently able to see what it contained. The giggling stopped immediately. "Ansem..?" Kairi choked. "Yes, little one. Surprised?" He laughed. Kairi took a step back. "What have you done? Where am I?" She demanded.   
  
Ansem took a step toward her and Kairi stepped back again. "You haven't gone anywhere. This is your world, leaving you alone." Kairi gasped when realization struck her. "You… My wish. You took away my world? What have you done with the Destiny Islands?!" She demanded boldly. Ansem reached into his pocket and pulled out a black glass orb. "Relax, your islands are right here." He almost sighed. Her blood ran cold. "Bring them back!" She begged. "I didn't mean it! I was just upset! Please!"   
  
"What's done is done. I can't rightfully restore your world. What would my Heartless do if I began breaking my own rules?" He smirked. The darkness around them began to dissolve into a bright orange glow. Kairi had to shield her eyes against the light. When she looked back, she and Ansem where standing on a hill. The sky glowed orange in the early morning light. The dead trees all around them creaked as if they were alive.   
  
Kairi was startled, but tried not to let Ansem know it. "You may stay in my castle with me, unless you were fond of that new Heartless playground." He turned and began walking down the hill, but Kairi ran forward and grabbed his arm. "Please! There has to be some way you can give me back my world!" She begged, tears forming in her eyes. Ansem looked at her strangely, and at first she thought he was going to hit her. Then he reached down and gently petted her hair. "There is one way you might win back your world." What's he getting at? She thought to herself.  
  
He grabbed her around the waist and flew up above the trees. Kairi was shocked by this and even more nervous to be so high up. She couldn't help but cling to him. "There." He said, pointing at a large, dark castle in the middle of a gothic labyrinth. "You have thirty-two hours to solve the labyrinth and reach my castle. If you can do this, I will restore your world." He stated as he floated back down to the ground with her. "But be careful," He warned. "I can not guarantee your safety from the Heartless." He released her and began down the hill again, vanishing before he reached the bottom. Kairi took a deep breath and started down the hill in the direction he had gone. 


	3. Into the Labyrinth

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Labyrinth, blah blah.   
  
Thanks for the support, everybody! Mainly RainWarriorPrincess! Hope you don't mind me telling everyone.  
  
Anyway, if you hadn't noticed, I am beginning to like the way this story is going! I will try my hardest to update at least every other day. If I don't update, it's because I am getting lazy, don't let me do that. I really want to finish this story!   
  
Also, I am taking any suggestions that you have, I want people to enjoy my story so I am open to any new ideas. I am thinking of making another humor related fic, too, and I wanted to know if anyone was partial to certain pairings? Any pairing at all. Well, enough chat for now, on with the story!  
  
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While walking down the hill, Kairi enjoyed examining the gothic scenery. The blood-red leaves crunched under her shoes, and the air seemed surprisingly fresh. There was still a slight chill from the night before, and it left a think layer of mist floating inches above the ground. It swirled eerily around her ankles as she tromped through it.   
  
Up ahead, she could hear shuffling noises in the brush at the base of the hill. "Hello?" She called cautiously. She waited for a moment for a reply, when she received none, she crept forward to investigate. Hiding behind a tree, she could see a rather awkward looking figure shuffling about, it appeared to be looking for something. Confident that it was no Heartless, Kairi stepped out from behind her tree. "Ummm… Excuse me?" She asked. "Aaaagh!" It yelled in surprise. "Oh, sorry!" Kairi apologized quickly. "Aww, that's alright. I guess I should be used to it by now." It said.   
  
Kairi was taken aback, not only did he closely resemble a duck, but she could hardly understand him! He must have noticed her surprise, because he quickly introduced himself, "Hi, I'm Donald." He quacked. Kairi thought he seemed very familiar, but couldn't quite place him. "Oh, umm. I'm Kairi. Could you perhaps tell me how to get inside that gate?" She gestured toward the looming wrought iron gate behind him. "Ahhh," He sighed. He walked over and stood in front of it. Suddenly, he began kicking it, yelling, "Hey! Open up!" Kairi couldn't believe her eyes as she watched the massive gate swing easily open.   
  
"There ya' go! But be careful in there, the Heartless are everywhere." Donald told her as she walked slowly inside. The gates closed behind her, and she was disappointed to see that Donald hadn't followed her. Turning back to the corridor, she realized that she was standing in a large, dark, brick hallway. It stretched off into the distance as far as she could see. "Wow, some labyrinth." She mumbled to herself.   
  
She turned and began walking down the corridor to the left. After walking for what seemed to her to be an eternity, she sighed and flopped down against the wall. This is hopeless, she thought bitterly, I'll never get there in time at this rate! "Hello." Came a voice from her right. Kairi jumped. Turning sharply, she noticed a rather large (but still small) cricket, resting on a protruding brick. Oh my god, that bug is talking…she thought nervously. "H-hello." She replied, so as not to be rude. "Do you need help? You look upset." It asked, looking concerned. Kairi was surprised again, but was too exhausted to care anymore. "Yes, actually, I do. I'm lost, and I need to get to Ansem's castle. Am I doing something wrong?" She asked nicely.   
  
The cricket laughed, "Why don't you just go through another opening? You'll never get to the castle by staying in here!" Kairi was truly confused by this point. "Another opening? Where? I don't see any." She glanced suspiciously around herself. The cricket laughed again, "You're just not looking right! There's one right over there for instance, why don't you go try walking through it? You'll see what I mean!" It explained. She stood up and walked over to where the cricket had pointed. Questioningly, she lifted her hand and tried to touch the wall. Amazed to find that there was indeed an opening in the corridor, she spun around and smiled to the cricket. "Thank you!" She cried as she stepped into the new passage.  
  
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	4. Master of Darkness

Sorry I haven't updated in so long. I am currently obsessed with my other fic. lol, I'll be done with it soon though, and I promise not to start another one until this one is done! Okay, this one's gonna be really long. I hope you guys don't mind. Personally I like long chapters.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth or Kingdom Hearts. In any way, shape or form.  
  
Sorry if some of this chapter is a little sloppy and rushed, I really wanted to get through all this so I can start on adding the new characters due in the next couple of chapters.  
  
Please keep reviewing! I love you, please review. Hm?  
  
Guess who we meet in this chapter?  
  
Uggh, I have insomnia and haven't sleep since Tuesday night. I'm tired, but still can't get to sleep, so I guess I will just sit here and try to write myself to sleep. High School really isn't that bad, it's just my history class I need all my energy for. Stupid book work.  
  
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Kairi stared blankly around her, she was completely lost. The sudden silence made her nervous, but she tried not to pay attention to it. She stepped around a corner, hearing scuffling behind her. She peeked cautiously around the corner, trying to catch a glimpse of what was following her. Several shadow heartless were crouched low along the ground, shuffling toward her. Upon catching her scent, their antennas perked up and they scuttled faster. She yelped and slid around another corner of the labyrinth. She turned, only to find that they were following her, rapidly catching up. She broke into a run and skidded around several corners in a panic before she ran into what had seconds before been an open passage. "What?!" She yelled in anger, trying to find another way to go. The Heartless were getting closer and she began looking around the dead end. She was trapped.  
  
"If you're looking for another way to go, why don't you try a door?" Came a high-pitched voice behind her. She spun, coming face to nose with a chipmunk, perched on the knocker of a thick wooden door. Kairi's eyes widened in surprise and she stepped back, taking a close look at the two doors which now stood in front of her. "Hurry up! Your buddies look upset." Another chipmunk added. "Huh? Where did these doors come from?" She stared blankly at the talking chipmunks. The first one sighed, "You must be new here, just pick a door." It huffed. "Uh, okay, which one?" She asked. "Just pick one!" They both shouted angrily, as the Heartless behind her drew nearer. She turned back to the doors and looked at them, finally deciding on the left door. "This one?" She asked rather than stated. "Fine!" The chipmunks shouted and the door swung open as something pushed her through it.   
  
She caught the wall before she fell and managed to steady herself as her eyes tried to focus on the sudden dim lighting. She shrieked as the floor dropped away. Tumbling down a dark tunnel, she landed safely in what appeared to be a dungeon. The room was lit by a single window high in the wall, too tall for her to reach. She sat on the floor and tried to focus on the last few hours, convincing herself she had not gone insane. She could barely make out white shapes dangling around the room, and it took a while for her to realize that they were human skeletons. Upon discovering this morbid detail, she hugged her knees and began rocking back and forth, humming the tune to "Simple and Clean" to take her mind off of it.   
  
Ansem stood on his castle balcony, watching Kairi through a mirror suspended in the air. He knew exactly where she was, and even he did not want her in there, however, he did not make this fact know to his loyal slaves. A pirate Heartless laughed nearby, "Are you going to let her die in there, Master?" it howled at the thought of Kairi rotting in the old unused dungeon. Ansem contemplated this thought, trying to come up with a liable excuse for getting her out. "Quiet!" He hissed, all sound on the balcony immediately ceased. "Donald?" Ansem directed his attention back to the mirror. "Y-y-yes, my Lord?" Came the reply. "I need you to do something for me." Ansem stated.  
  
Kairi still sat on the damp floor when Donald appeared next to her. "And what do you think you are doing in here?" He quacked suddenly in her ear, causing her to jump at the sudden disruption of her thoughts. She turned and recognized him at once. "Donald! What are you doing here?" She asked, relieved. "Oh, I just thought you looked like you could use some help." He said casually, waddling around. "Can you get me out of here?" Kairi asked hopefully. "…Yes. You'll have to start over of course. I can take you back to the front gates. Deal?" He quacked haughtily at her. She gasped, "All the way back to the beginning? Why can't you just take me into the labyrinth? Please? Anywhere! Please, just don't make me start over again! I've already gotten so far!" She sobbed pitifully. Donald felt sorry for her, but he didn't want to just let her off the hook, Ansem would be pissed if he found out Donald was turning soft again. Kairi wiped away a few stray tears and pulled a seashell charm out of her pocket. "I'll give you this, if you'll take me back into the labyrinth." She stated bravely, considering her real mother had given the charm to her.   
  
Donald eyed it for a moment, "Deal!" He declared. He took the charm and turned back to the wall, examining the chains on a skeleton, finally resting his hand the large bolt securing them, he pushed. The wall swung down and fell into a staircase leading upward toward dark vegetation. Kairi thanked him and they ran up the stairs. Vines lay sprawled on the dirt floor, and headstones decorated the old cemetery. A shiver went down Kairi's spine. Donald led her quickly past this and they entered an old tomb. "Where are we going?" Kairi whispered. Donald turned to hush her, when a hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder. "Yes, Donald, where are you going?" Came Ansem's deep voice. Donald started and whipped around, facing his master. He looked horrified and opened his mouth for a moment, trying to think of what to say, "I was just, uh, taking her back to the gates…Lord." He stuttered. Kairi put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Really?" Ansem said in mock surprise, "Because I could have sworn when I built this place that the gates were in the opposite direction." He stated, looking around at his labyrinth. Kairi glanced suspiciously at Donald, not sure what to think. "Oh, uhh…" Donald struggled to find a good reason for traveling in the wrong direction. Ansem, however, interrupted his thoughts and addressed Kairi instead. "So," He slid up next to her and leaned down to look her in the eye. "How do you like my Heartless labyrinth so far?" He asked sweetly. Kairi turned her head away from his smile, looking blankly at the floor. "It's not so bad." She replied, dreamily. "Really? You don't think my Heartless are scary?" He gave her one of Sora's trademark pouts. She turned back and looked him directly in his eyes, noticing the unnatural color. "No." She replied bravely. He stepped away from her and laughed, "Alright then, let's see how you and your pet deal with this." He said, vanishing in a large cloud of black and purple smoke. When the smoke vanished moments later, several soldier heartless stepped out into the dim lighting. Kairi gasped and Donald grabbed her wrist. "Ruuuun!" he yelled in her ear.   
  
She stumbled as they turned and fled down the corridor. "Look at what you've gotten us into now?! You just had to contradict him, didn't you?!" Donald accused as they dashed down the hall. (Whoot! I found my thesaurus! Check out this word usage!) "What-do-we-do-now?" Kairi huffed as she quickly ran out of energy. Donald got a sudden rebellious glint in his eye and stopped, turning suddenly and facing the enemy. He pulled a mage's staff out from wherever he had been keeping it and pointed it at the Heartless. "Graviga!" He yelled as a giant ball of darkness engulfed the Heartless. Kairi blinked as she looked at where they had been seconds before, they were plastered to the floor! Donald grabbed her again and they took of running down the passageway again. They passed a heavy wooden door, and Donald pointed his staff at it, yelling "Firaga!" The door burst into flames and they kicked their way through the smoldering debris. They now stood in a long hallway, lined with doors. Kairi stood confused as to what to do next, when Donald walked quickly toward the seventh door on the left row. "Hurry up! I haven't got enough magic left to fight off those soldiers!" He quacked as he opened the door, walking through it. Kairi scampered over and dived through the door as Donald slammed it shut.   
  
She stood up and brushed herself off, "That really wasn't necessary." Donald quacked haughtily at her. She shrugged and gazed around their new surroundings. They were in an old garden. It was beautiful, despite it's morbid appearance. The hedges and flower beds were neatly taken care of, and their wasn't a speck of dirt on the brick walkway. "Wow.." She sighed as she turned slowly, taking in the site. "Okay, I'm done. You're on your own." Donald huffed as he walked away. "Oh no you don't!" Kairi cried as she snatched away the mage's staff. "Hey! No fair! You're causing too much trouble and I refuse to help you defy my Lord!" He hollered. She ignored his complaints. "Now…Which way to go?" She thought aloud, scanning the many branching paths. She finally decided on the path directly behind them, as it seemed to her that by heading away from the castle in this place, you actually bring her closer. Donald huffed angrily but followed her. They walked along in silence, Kairi humming bits and pieces of 'Simple and Clean'. She smiled sweetly at Donald in reply to his icy glares. He had opened his mouth to say something rather rude, when he was cut off by an inhuman screech, rising above the thorn hedges around them. Kairi clamped her hands over her ears. "What is that?!" She cried in puzzlement. "That's it! Keep my staff! I'm not hanging around such a Heartless magnet!" Donald yelled as he scampered back the ay they had come. Kairi made as if to follow him, but a second piercing howl stopped her. She listed intently to it, noting traces of anguish in the voice. Startled, she turned to look down the path towards the corner, where the howling was coming form. That's no Heartless, Heartless feel nothing, not even pain…she thought in sudden fear. Glancing down at the staff in her hands, she crept forward.  
  
Another painful howl rose up from around the hedges, chilling Kairi's soul with the reverberating tones. She rested a hand on the corner now, and carefully peeked around, careful not to be seen by whatever lurked on the other side. She gasped as she saw a bruised and bloody figure, hanging from a stout tree. Heartless surrounded it, hitting it with dark weapons and laughing as it screamed in more than just pain. A thin figure stood in the midst of the Heartless, wielding a dark key blade and bringing it back for another strike. As the key blade made contact with the creature's flesh, another bone chilling howl was sent through the labyrinth. I have to do something! Obviously that-person?- needs help! She thought desperately. She glanced down at the staff in her hands, of course!, she thought, how does this work? She remembered Donald using it to burn down that door, he yelled Firaga or something, right? She told herself, I'll try it! She jumped out from around the corner, pointing the staff at the key blade-wielding figure and shouting "FIRAGA!!" The person screamed in pain and surprise as an enormous shockwave of flame rippled through the crowd of Heartless. The figure jumped into the air and immediately vanished, but the Heartless didn't stand a chance, most of them were killed instantly, and the survivors crawled away on injured limbs, leaving the mess hanging form the tree.  
  
Kairi had been throw back by the force of her own spell, startled that she had actually done it. She rested for a moment before getting up and shaking her head. She stumbled over to the thing hanging from the tree, it tried to lean away from her, but wasn't strong enough. Deciding it was no threat, she walked over and untied the end of the rope, bracing her feet and lowering the beaten person to the ground. Slightly dizzy from the aftermath of the spell, she bent down and noticed a glint of silver under the bloody mess of hair. She brushed the long dirty locks of hair away form the person's face and gasped as she recognized him. "..Oh, god. Riku..?" She whispered as tears formed in her eyes. He opened an eye at the mention of his name, and couldn't believe that Kairi was kneeling over him. "…Kairi..?" he asked weakly, "…Naw, it's not you. Just some trick, you're not real…"he convinced himself aloud. She laughed weakly at his familiar stubbornness and hugged him, "It is me, Riku. I have no idea what you're doing here, but please, just hold on. Don't die, I'll help you.. somehow.." She promised faintly, examining his injuries. He had lost a lot of blood, and there were bruises all over his body. He laughed feebly, "Ugg, I feel like crap.. can you cast curaga or something..?" he asked tiredly. "Um.. I can try, hold on…" Kairi said unsurely. She had no idea what curaga did, but it was the only suggestion she had right now. She pointed Donald's staff at Riku, "Curaga!" She said loudly, hoping that it wouldn't hurt Riku.   
  
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	5. The Truth Unfolds

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Labyrinth.  
  
Hey, everyone! I was having trouble with my computer earlier, but I think I can get another chapter out tonight! Please keep reviewing, I love getting reviews.  
  
Rain, thanks for pointing out the whole paragraph thing, I thought something was irritating about the format, I will do my best to fix it! Yay!  
  
But really people, what do you think of a Ansem/Kairi fic? I have a really crazy idea for one but I wanna know what you people think of Ansem! Personally, I think he's hella cool.  
  
Sorry if the last chapter was confusing, I'll clean this one up better before submitting it.  
  
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Riku screamed in pain and Kairi watched in amazement as his wounds knit themselves back together. The bruises disappeared almost instantly, and minor scrapes vanished too. He was still covered in blood, but Kairi was relieved to see that the spell was basically working, even if her inexperience made it a particularly painful thing for Riku. He sat up slowly and Kairi helped him stand up.   
  
"Sorry.." She mumbled after he successfully managed to stand on his own. He looked at her, "It's alright, didn't hurt that bad, not compared to that freaky new key blade that…" Riku stopped himself before he finished his sentence.   
  
"What? A new key blade? Do you mean- is Sora here?" Kairi asked, getting excited. She gazed hopefully into Riku's aquamarine eyes. He looked sadly back at her, he opened his mouth to say something, but turned away, not wanting to see her sad. "Riku? Where's Sora?" She persisted. He began stumbling off down the path, avoiding her gaze. "..Riku?" She was starting to sound worried, and he turned to face her, building up his nerve.   
  
"…Ansem has him. In the castle. But I haven't seen him in months, there's no guarantee he's still alive, or even still there for that matter." He said coldly, turning to continue back down the path. Not wanting to lie to her face. She gasped softly, more at his abruptness than at the thought of Sora being Ansem's pet. Riku tripped on a thorn branch and cringed in pain as his already sore body hit the ground. "Riku!" Kairi choked, rushing to see if he was alright. He pulled himself up into a sitting position and decided to rest a bit. Kairi sat down next to him and brushed the dried blood and dirt off of his face. He turned his head away from her, uncomfortable at being so close to someone who had no intention of hurting him. She was still wiping away the blood when she noticed tears running silently down his face. She tried not to cry herself, but couldn't help it when she saw the pain in her friend's eyes.   
  
She buried her face in his chest and hugged him as she sobbed. He hugged her back and immediately felt sorry for it when he noticed the bloodstains he was getting all over her. However, when she didn't seem to care, he tightened his grip on her shoulders and buried his face in her hair.   
  
After a while Kairi helped Riku to his feet and they continued down the path. About twenty minutes later, they arrived at a series of wrought iron gates, all leading into a different part of the garden. Kairi glanced at Riku and he led her through the second one on the right, guiding her through the gate and into the jungle-like garden beyond. She jumped when she heard rustling to their left, and she grabbed onto Riku to reassure herself. He put an arm around her shoulders and they moved a bit faster through the jungle.   
  
The path had disappeared by now, and Kairi would have given them up for lost had Riku not looked so confident. They entered a small open thicket, an large old fountain stood in the middle, and it was almost covered in weeds and thorns. The water still ran through it, however, and it seemed to come up from an underground well. Riku led Kairi to a soft patch of grass and she sat down, thankful for a rest after the long walk. She closed her eyes after a moment and lay back to enjoy the sound of the fountain.  
  
She sat up a moment later, surprised to see Riku crouched in the fountain trying to wash himself off. He had stripped off all his clothing except his boxers and he was scrubbing vigorously at his shirt, trying to rinse out the blood. Kairi blushed and turned away, having forgotten over the years what a nice body he had. He finished scrubbing his shirt and set it on the side of the fountain to dry in the afternoon sun. Next he began rinsing his pants off, not bothering to scrub them too much considering the color was hard to stain. He set all his clothing up to dry and finished washing all the blood from his body, examining his wounds now that he could really see them.  
  
Kairi woke up a while later, deciding she must have dozed off while trying not to stare at Riku. She sat up to find him fully dress with his back to her. He appeared to be thinking about something, and she crept up behind him quietly. "Riku? Are you feeling better?" She asked, startling him. He turned to face her, smiling.   
  
"Yeah, a little." He said, gazing down at the clearly visible gashes and scars along his arms and shoulders. "Do you want me to..?" Kairi asked hesitantly, pulling a shirt and some peroxide out of her bag.   
  
Riku looked at her, surprised, but nodded. She looked around for something to use to cut up the shirt, and Riku handed her a little knife. She began ripping the shirt into strips and laying them out on the ground. Riku pulled off his shirt and she blushed a little as she leaned in to examine the wound the unusual key blade had left in his chest. She rubbed a little peroxide on it and cringed as Riku groaned in pain. She blew on it to try to relive the sting, and wrapped several makeshift bandages around his chest to keep it clean. He put his shirt back on and she began putting peroxide on the gashes on his arms, wrapping them in bandages when she was done. She stepped back to look at him when she finished with his wounds, happy that he was finally starting to look a bit more like the Riku she had always known. His hair had faded from a mess of blood and dirt back to its natural silver color, and he had somehow managed to get most of the blood out of his shirt.   
  
They continued down what Riku called a path for a while, when Kairi realized that the jungle had gone completely silent. She gasped and grabbed Riku's shirt as she recognized the tall figure emerging from the brush.   
  
"Having fun?" Ansem laughed as he walked around Riku and Kairi. "What do you want?" Riku spat coldly at him, not breaking eye contact with the Heartless leader.   
  
Ansem smiled, "Nothing really, I just wanted to know how dear Kairi was getting along in my labyrinth." He said, almost daring Riku to do something. Kairi looked between the two, finally deciding to step between them before things got ugly. "Actually, I was wondering what you know about Sora?" Kairi stated bravely. Ansem was surprised by her question, and switched his gaze to her. "Sora? The key blade master? And why do you think I would know anything about him?" Ansem laughed, challenging her. She glanced quickly at Riku.   
  
She looked angrily back into Ansem's eyes, "I know you know where he is, and I know that you didn't kill him. So tell me what you did with him." She demanded. Ansem switched his gaze back to Riku, laughing deeply. Riku moved forward as if to attack him, but Kairi shoved him back.   
  
"Tell me!" She shouted at him. He smiled at her. "Suppose I don't know where Sora is, then what would you like me to say? And If I did know, would you hurt me if I refused to tell you?" He asked curiously, smiling sweetly. Riku moved forward again, "Knock it off you--!"   
  
Kairi shoved him back again, "Don't, Riku." She said calmly. She looked back at Ansem, staring coldly at him. She walked closer to him and looked up into his strangely orange eyes. "Please.." She whispered. "Where is Sora?" She asked quietly.   
  
Ansem was shocked, and at first he didn't know what to do. Finally giving in, he pointed at his castle. "He's there." He looked back at her, "He's safe."  
  
~~~~ 


	6. The Pain of a Soul

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Labyrinth.  
  
Thank you, everyone who reviewed! Sorry progress has been so slow on this story! I will try to update faster on it!   
  
I saw the new Lord of the Rings today, it's awesome! If you haven't seen it, you should, it's really good.   
  
I don't have very much to say right now, so I will just continue the story, I hope you are enjoying it so far, and please review!  
  
I got some ideas on showing character emotions, so I thought I might try it. Tell me if it's too.. I dunno, not right.   
  
~~~~~  
  
Riku and Kairi walked along in silence. The wind whistled dangerously through the trees, and the eerie sound made Kairi shiver. She turned to Riku. "..Why didn't you want me to know about Sora..?" She asked quietly, watching him with confused eyes.  
  
Riku sighed, looking back at her. She could see deep pain in him, it was ripping him apart inside. She wished she could do something about it, but she knew it was something that would take years to heal. Having to live in this place had nearly destroyed him, and she wondered to herself how he had managed to survive, astonished at his determination. Even after the years he had spent here, he still carried a deep hatred for Ansem. She could almost see it, even when he smiled.  
  
She was yanked abruptly out of her thoughts when Riku spoke, ".. I hadn't seen you in years, hadn't seen many friends in years." He laughed awkwardly, looking back at the ground. "It's rather ironic.." He continued, "I spent my whole life always longing to see other worlds, my mind always somewhere else…And now that I've finally traveled to another world, all I want is to go home." He choked.   
  
Tears formed in Kairi's eyes, she could feel his pain, it was everywhere. The look in his eyes, the way he moved, it was even reflected in his voice. Her tears ran slowly down her face, but she said nothing, urging him to go on.  
  
".. There was nothing I could do, nothing at all. Ansem wouldn't even allow me the solitude of death. He kept me in his castle, at least until he determined that I was no longer a threat to him, then he turned me loose in his world. He knew how I used to dream about far away places, how I wanted to see them, so he showed me his world. He laughed at me when he saw how much I hated it, so I have been cursed to live here until my death, whenever he will allow it." He paused to glance back at Kairi, her face was hidden behind her hair, but he could sense that she was crying for him. He wanted to stop, he had never intended for this matter to hurt her, but he knew he had to finish.   
  
"Sora was with me that first year, Ansem thought we should at least get to share our emotions, it was just another form of torture, really. Sora would always just look at me, he felt the pain more than I did, and he knew what I had done. It was all my fault. Ansem had used me.. And Sora knew it. But being the friend he was, he never said anything. He just took it, he never blamed me, but you could see it in his face, whenever he looked at me. You could see that he felt betrayed." Riku's voice cracked, remembering the time they had spent in the castle under Ansem's control.   
  
"Sometimes, I just wanted to scream, but I knew that it would only hurt Sora more. Whenever he saw the pain in me, you could tell it was like knives, ripping through his soul. I'll never understand him, even though I was the reason we're here, he couldn't even stand to see me hurt. He's a good man, I wish I could be like him someday, he can always seem to see the good in people, even when they've messed up just about as bad as they can." Silent tears were forming in Riku's eyes now, he quickly wiped them away.  
  
"That was the worst part of it, despite everything else, just seeing Sora. He had hope." Riku raised his face to the sky, tears streaming freely down his face. " I didn't understand why, but he had hope. That was what kept him going, that's why even now, Ansem still holds him in the castle. He'll always be a threat. Ansem may have broken his body, but Sora will always have hope left in him. That was the only thing in him Ansem couldn't crush." Riku sighed, almost happily at finally being able to tell someone, someone who really cared.   
  
"That's why I didn't want to tell you, because no one should have to witness that kind of pain. Sora is nothing now, a mere shell of the key blade master he had been all that time ago. He was little more than a mindless zombie when I last saw him, as I was dragged out the castle gates. He just stared at me, and it hurt. It hurt so much, because he knew what was happening, and even then he wouldn't say it. Even as I was dragged away from him, he didn't say it, but he still knew it. And the look in his eyes burned into my very soul. There was no hatred in them, no jealousy at me being able to leave that hellish existence for a slightly better one. No anger at me for bringing this upon us both. Just…love. He was happy. I don't think Ansem ever saw it, even if he had, he probably wouldn't have believed it, but as those doors were being pulled shut after me, Sora smiled. That was the last time I ever saw him." Riku finished. He rubbed at his tear stained face, trying to stand up straight, but giving in and collapsing into the dirt, unable to stand any longer. Kairi said nothing, she just sobbed, staring off into the distance.  
  
~  
  
Hours later, they came to a dead end in the path. A stout stone wall rose up above them. Riku gazed drearily at it, trying to figure which way to go. Finally giving up, he motioned for Kairi to come closer, she walked over to him, trying to avoid his eyes. She yelped as he scooped her up and tossed her onto the wall. She landed awkwardly, scrambling as she tried to pull herself over. Once safely seated on the wall, she waved down to Riku. A few moments later, he leaped onto the wall, landing almost gracefully on the edge. Kairi gazed down at the ground below the wall, they were back in the main labyrinth. She could see it twisting and turning into the distance, the gothic castle wrapped in the middle. Riku leapt down, and Kairi jumped off the wall after him. He caught her gently and set her down, walking toward the nearest corridor.   
  
She followed him quietly, still sorting out what he had told her earlier. She gasped as he pulled her back around a corner, slamming her into the wall. She looked at him with frightened, startled eyes, but he was leaning carefully around the corner. Then she heard it. Voices, lots of them. She kneeled down and peered around the corner under Riku. He put a hand on her shoulder, watching the group of Heartless intently. Kairi gasped as she recognized the figure in the middle of the group.   
  
It was Donald. He was trying to get the Heartless to listen to him, but they kept laughing, poking at him with their spears. He lost his temper after a moment, bad move. As he yelled at the group surrounding him, they growled menacingly, he had said something that had upset them, but Kairi hadn't caught it. Riku snorted. Donald looked angrily around the group, which began to advance on him.   
  
"Aren't we going to help him?" Kairi whispered to Riku, worried about the odd little duck. Riku grinned, "Maybe in a moment." he said. Obviously, Donald had a record of making people angry.  
  
~~~~ 


	7. Swamp of Eternal Darkness

Disclaimer: Happy Holidays!-I mean, I don't own it!  
  
  
  
I have the stupid MS3K theme song stuck in my head. Poo. What do you guys think so far? Is it okay? Please keep reviewing! Even if it is just to tell me that you think my new haircut is queer.. or if it's to call me a pervy hobbit-fancier, like my friends do. Ah well, sticks 'n stones.  
  
Is anyone still reading this one? This is a bit more difficult to update that my other fic, my other one I can just make up as I go, but this one has a plot… Interesting.  
  
My liver hurts.. I think. That last chapter was really depressing to write, tell me if it was sad to read. Ugh, I think I'm done with the most dismal part, maybe a little more later. Things should cheer up a bit now. Goofy will be coming into the story here in a second, or something. This part I find especially confusing. *sigh. Just don't hurt me.   
  
  
  
~~~~~  
  
Riku grinned wickedly as he watched the group of heartless advance on Donald, gripping their weapons and growling. Kairi glanced from Riku to Donald several times before she huffed angrily and stomped out to help her…acquaintance. She gasped inwardly as the group turned their attention to her and began grinning evilly. She began to get nervous as the Heartless closed in around her, but she held her ground. At the last possible second, Riku decided to barge in and start beating the crap out of them, catching them just before they grabbed Kairi. When he was done, Kairi smacked him. "What was that all about?!" She accused, walking over to Donald, who greeted her generously.   
  
"Hey, Donald." Riku smiled sweetly at him. "What's up? How ya been?" He asked as Kairi threatened to hit him again.   
  
Donald glared back at him, "Are you still angry? You hold grudges for a long time!" He quacked defensively. To change the subject, Kairi handed the staff back to Donald, "Thanks for letting me.. borrow it." She said. He took it from her, "So that's where that thing went.."   
  
~  
  
They walked along for a while, Riku and Donald avoiding each other, before they came to another dead end. Riku walked up and pounded on it, "That's irritating." He spat, turning to head back. He stopped abruptly when he saw that he was now facing a dead end where the corridor had just been. He cursed loudly and kicked it. As they stared at each other, wondering what to do next, the floor dropped away, and they tumbled, screaming, down a dark tunnel.   
  
Kairi was the first to come out, and she landed roughly on the ground six feet below the opening of the tunnel. She had to scramble out of the way as Donald came tumbling out behind her, followed by Riku, who landed gracefully in front of them.   
  
He swore as he looked around, realizing where they were. "Great. Just fantastic. Of all the hell-holes to fall down, we just had to fall down the only one that leads into the Swamp of Eternal Darkness." He groaned angrily, looking for a safe route out.   
  
"What's the Swamp of Eternal Darkness?" Kairi asked, pulling herself to her feet. It was silent, nothing moved. There was what appeared to be pools of darkness covering the ground, and the trees that rose out of the pools were dead and petrified. It looked like a wasteland, and with good reason. The life was sucked out of just about anything that tried to live there. Kairi leaned down to examine the dark water like substance, but Riku grabbed her and carried her as far away from the stuff as he could get her, which was only about fifteen feet, considering the small chunk of land they were on.  
  
"This is where Heartless are born. That dark crap is a pool of concentrated darkness. It could suck your heart right out of your body if you got too close." he told her, setting her down in the dirt.   
  
"We need to get out of here, and fast. Come on." He said, making his way toward a rock platform located out in the swamp. It appeared to be a lift stop, similar to the lifts in Hollow Bastion.   
  
When they were just twenty feet away from the platform, a tall figure jumped out of the dried bushes at them. "Halt!" It demanded, stepping forward and holding up a shield and a javelin. "I cannot allow you to pass! Lord Ansem has demanded that I discourage the use of this lift unit to troublemakers!" It declared.  
  
Riku and Donald both stared, dumbfounded. "Goofy?" They asked in unison.   
  
Goofy took up an indignant pose, "Troublemakers indeed! I shall have to ask you to leave, sir!" He said, directing his attention to Riku, who laughed at him.   
  
Goofy took up a battle stance and waved his javelin dangerously, "A duel then? Very well! But I cannot allow you to use this lift!" he stated, shuffling around.   
  
Riku laughed again. "Goofy, what are you doing? Don't you remember us? Knock it off, we need to get out of here." He said, moving toward the lift. He was stopped abruptly when Goofy's javelin smacked him in the face.   
  
Confusedly, Riku shook his head. He touched a hand to his nose, pulling it back to find blood on his fingers. "Now you're asking for it!" He growled as he punched Goofy in the snout. Goofy retaliated by thrusting his javelin at Riku, who side stepped and kicked it, breaking it in half. Goofy leapt at him, and they wrestled around in the dirt for a while before Donald and Kairi pulled them apart.  
  
Kairi pulled an extra strip of cloth from her bag and held it against Riku's nose as she scolded him. "So you're Goofy? Nice to meet you." She said politely, holding out a hand.  
  
Goofy shook it and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry about that, duty calls, ya know?" He laughed. "But seein' as you're friends and all, I guess I could let ya use the lift. Lord Ansem never really checks on it anyway. He was just mad cuz we had a group once that would hold parties on it, takes quite a bit of energy to run the thing all night, ya know?" He laughed again. "Come on, Pluto!" He called over his shoulder as he headed toward the lift. A skinny tan dog came running out from the bushes, leaping onto the lift and wagging his tail happily.   
  
"Well, going up!" Goofy declared after they had all climbed aboard. He pulled a lever and it started to rise.   
  
After a few moments, the group found themselves back in the main labyrinth. Kairi looked around, amazed.   
  
"It's beautiful!" She exclaimed, examining the garden they had landed in. She jumped off the lift and dove into the perfectly tended grass lining the stone path. The labyrinth walls here were very tall, about twenty feet, and they looked like something out of the dark ages. The corridors were wide, too, lined with flowerer beds of blood red roses.   
  
Riku flopped down into the grass next to Kairi, taking in the fresh scent.   
  
"Hurry up, you two! We don't have time for this!" Donald quacked angrily as Goofy and Pluto barreled past him, landing awkwardly in the grass across from the islanders. "I don't believe this!" Donald threw up his hands and turned his back on the group.  
  
~  
  
After much persuading, Donald had convinced the others to continue down the path, leaving the lift behind them. They had walked for hours, and Kairi was getting tired.  
  
"Can't we stop? I've been walking all day! I need some rest…" She groaned, turning back to Donald.   
  
"No! How many hours do we have left?" He quacked in return. Kairi looked down at her clip-on watch key chain.   
  
"About..17, why?" She asked, looking back at her friend.   
  
"I suppose we do have a little time to rest, but if we don't get there in time, don't blame me!" he replied, sitting down in the grass.   
  
Kairi watched him for a moment before flopping down into the grass and closing her eyes. It was getting dark, and she was exhausted.  
  
~~~~ 


	8. Surreal

Disclaimer: I still don't own it.  
  
Sorry it's been taking so long for me to update lately, I've been having a hard time finding the right motivation. I don't have anything to say, so I guess we can get right into the story then. And thanks to all my reviewers, please keep reviewing! I swear the story gets better in the next few chapters.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Kairi awoke hours later, still resting on what felt like the grass she had fallen asleep on. Darkness had surrounded her, filling her senses and leaving her stranded in it's icy depths. She struggled to her feet, surprised to hear the sound of ruffling fabric. It took her a moment to realize where the sound was coming from, she felt down her body, discovering that she was now wearing what felt to her like a gothic ball gown.  
  
"Riku?" She called into the darkness. She hear nothing, not even the sound of breathing from her friends. She began to feel nervous calling out again, "Goofy? Donald? Where are you?" She called, her voice wavering.  
  
She jumped when she heard footsteps behind her, spinning around and straining her eyes in the dark. Something gripped her roughly from behind and dragged her to the floor. She screamed in fright as she struggled out of the strong grasp.   
  
"Stop." She heard a deep, commanding voice from nearby. She froze in her struggles as she realized it was Ansem she had heard. The darkness lifted and she found herself sitting in the middle of a vast ballroom, filled with gothic people dancing awkwardly to some old classical music.   
  
She looked around the room, noticing the distant almost mindless looks on their faces. They shuffled smoothly with each other, however they did not look very comfortable. The hairs on the back of her neck were beginning to stand up and she tried to convince herself it wasn't real.  
  
She looked up, suddenly aware that she was being watched. Ansem stood towering above her, smiling almost innocently and offering his hand to help her up. She hesitated before taking his hand, not sure whether to trust him or not after what Riku had told her.   
  
However, he gently lifted her to her feet. She stood next to him, suddenly feeling extremely out of place. He slowly wrapped a hand around her waist and turned to face her. Before she realized what she had done, she found herself leaning in to him and accepting the hand he held up. They slowly began waltzing around the room, the people making room for them as they passed. Something in Kairi's head was screaming at her, but she had chosen to ignore it. She hadn't danced with anyone in so long…  
  
Ansem pulled her in closer to him, bringing his face down close to her ear. "You're a wonderful dancer, Kairi." He whispered, smiling down at her.   
  
Kairi? Who's Kairi? Is that me..? She thought dazedly to herself, I don't remember anymore.. Who are you? She could feel her mind slipping away, leaving her in the ball room, dancing with this new stranger. She struggled to bring it back, but only kept bits and pieces of it, her memories fading.  
  
She opened her mouth and looked up at the tall man she was dancing with. "Ansem..?" She asked, trying to remember who Ansem was anyway. The name was familiar, but she could no longer place who he really was.  
  
"Yes." he stated rather than asked. He began quickening their pace, swinging Kairi around in wide loops, the music fading to their ears.   
  
Suddenly, Kairi shoved him away, turning to stare around the room. What was I doing? Why does all this seem so familiar? She wondered desperately, sure she was missing something important. Have I always been here? She glanced down at the black gown she was wearing, not able to remember having ever worn that before either. She searched frantically around the room, spinning in a circle and trying to recall what she had lost. Her gaze stopped when she looked back at Ansem.  
  
He stood there, perfectly calm, smiling at her. "Kairi, what are you doing?" He asked, moving closer to her.   
  
She couldn't look away from him, his orange eyes were burning through her. "I'm not sure…" She said, startled that she felt so uncomfortable around him. He was the only thing she could remember, but she couldn't remember why she felt like she should run away from him.   
  
However, she couldn't move, his gaze had her stuck to the floor. She tried desperately to remember whatever important thing she had nagging at the back of her mind.   
  
Ansem moved even closer and wrapped his arms around Kairi's back. She looked up him questioningly, not sure what to do. He watched her for a moment before bringing his lips down against hers, tilting her head back and pulling her closer. She was startled for a moment, not sure what to do, but slowly, her feeling of dread disappeared.   
  
She stopped trying to remember whatever it was she had forgotten, after all, if she couldn't remember it, it must not be that important.   
  
Carefully, Kairi slipped her arm behind Ansem's neck, pulling him down closer to her. She closed her eyes as her tongue slid between his teeth, immediately liking the way he tasted. He kissed her passionately, running his hand along her back. She pressed her body up against him and began playing with his hair. She loved how long it was, and how beautifully white, it almost glowed.  
  
They stopped abruptly when something startled Ansem. He pulled out of Kairi's mouth so fast, he clipped her bottom lip with a tooth. She held a finger up to her lip and found blood on it, not much, but a few drops. She looked up at him, concern showing in her eyes. He was glaring intently around the room, searching for some unseen disturbance. Kairi glanced over his shoulder and gasped at what she saw.  
  
A teenage boy was standing there. He looked to be about Kairi's age, with spiky brown hair. He looked dazed, even more mindless than the zombies in the ball room. He wore an outfit like Ansem's, but completely black, a small Heartless symbol tattooed onto his thin, bare chest. Ansem spun around when he heard Kairi gasp, locking his gaze onto the intruder.   
  
"You!" He hissed, stepping away from Kairi and stomping purposefully toward the boy. "How did you-" He stopped when the boy pulled a white object out of his pocket. He held it up to show Kairi, then pulled it in close and kissed it gently.   
  
Kairi gasped and stumbled backward, her memories flooding her previously empty mind. She remembered an island, several islands. And two boys, one with silver hair, Riku. The other, Sora, who was standing just feet away… She clamped a hand to her mouth as her memories of Ansem returned, what he had done, what we was still doing to the Heartless. Everything. She remembered her journey through the labyrinth with Riku, Donald, and Goofy. Finally, it was done, all her memories had been restored. She trembled as she faced Sora, unable to believe she had found him.   
  
"Sora..!" She choked, suddenly dashing forward. Ansem shoved her aside and leapt at Sora, missing him by inches as he dodged to the side and shoved something into Kairi's hands. "Go.." He whispered, his blank blue eyes piercing her soul.   
  
"Sora…" She began, startled by the vacant look in his eyes. "GO!" He managed to yell, shoving her roughly backward as Ansem grabbed him from behind, knocking him out with a single blow to the side of his head. Kairi screamed, slipping through the floor and falling through darkness. She watched as Ansem faded into the distance, Sora draped limply over his shoulder.  
  
~  
  
"SORA!!!" She screamed, flailing violently as she tried to figure out what to do. She winced as her arm slammed into a stone wall, bits of rubble falling down onto her from above. She looked around her, shocked to see that she was seated in what appeared to be the ruins of some ancient city. She heard the shifting of rock nearby, followed by shouts. Riku tumbled down from the roof of a nearby house, landing neatly on his feet.   
  
"Kairi! We thought Ansem had gotten to you! Kairi..?" He cried when he saw her, resting against the wall and staring at the object Sora had shoved into her hands. Sora's favorite crown necklace nested gently in the palm of her hand.   
  
So it wasn't a dream, she thought to herself. Sora's really alive, and Ansem has him.   
  
She looked up at Riku, completely lost for words. "Kairi, you saw Sora?" He asked, touching the necklace with a hesitant finger.  
  
"We've got to help him.. Riku, what exactly was Ansem doing to you while you were his prisoner?"   
  
~~~~ 


	9. City Gates

Disclaimer: I still don't own it.  
  
Sorry it's been taking forever to update, I've been obsessed with my other fic, Light Among Heartless. I'll try to update faster on this. It shouldn't take too long to update now, I've got the whole plot outlined from here. Just stop letting me forget!  
  
~~~~  
  
Riku sat in the rubble across from Kairi, using a small chunk of wood to make patterns in the dirt. It obviously hurt him to talk about it, but he needed to tell someone, and Kairi needed to know.  
  
"Ansem has.. Found new ways of experimenting with the Heartless. Do you remember the dark keyblade that I used against Sora?" He paused to as he looked quizzically up at her.  
  
"Yeah, a little bit.." She said, having vague memories of Sora's battle against Riku.  
  
"So you must understand that it's capable of unlocking a person's heart, right?" He watched as she nodded slowly, piecing together the scattered memories she gained while her heart rested in Sora.  
  
Riku sighed, "What me and Sora never realized, was that not only could you use the dark keyblade to unlock someone's heart, but when used correctly, you could use it to slowly leech an unlocked heart out of its body. Eventually, you could even turn the person into a Heartless, or you could simply create a soulless shell. Ansem discovered this, and before I could stop him, he had used it to capture Sora. Of course, it didn't take long before he had me too, but instead of killing me, he threw me in with Sora. We had the honor of being the first humans experimented on with the powers of the dark keyblade." He spat, avoiding Kairi's horrified expression.   
  
"S-so you mean..? You and Sora..?" She stuttered, tears welling up in her eyes as she remembered Sora's blank expression when he saved her from Ansem.  
  
"Yes. Ansem found the dark keyblade rather intriguing. He noticed how painful it was for me to see Sora like that all because of me, so he set me free to wallow in my misery until I managed to take my own life. Of course when he saw that I had no intention of giving up, he sent Sora's nearly Heartless shell to finish me off. You saw him when you found me." Riku said as he lowered his voice.  
  
"You were screaming, it hurts.." She wiped away the tears that were streaming down her cheeks, Riku's inhuman scream still piercing through her head.  
  
He unconsciously reached up and gripped his shirt over his heart. "..Like your heart is being ripped right out of your chest, only you can feel your soul going with it." he crawled over and wrapped his arms protectively around Kairi. "It's something I pray you'll never have to feel."  
  
She snuggled into his chest, "But, why did Sora turn into a shell, and you didn't?" She asked.  
  
He sighed, not bothering to wipe away the tears that stained his own face. "Because Ansem wasn't interested in how I would react to it as much as he was with Sora. I'm not sure why, but every time I saw Sora flash his stupid grin at me, it was like that keyblade had never touched me. It's a rather long process in the first place, but I'm not going to pretend like it didn't do anything to me."  
  
Kairi was silent for a moment, "..Is there any way we can save him..?" She choked, fastening the crown necklace around her neck.   
  
"I don't know how exactly, but I know you'll find a way." he replied, smiling down at her as he pulled her to her feet. "Come on, we don't have much time left, we spent a lot of it looking for you."  
  
~  
  
"Great! Just wonderful! How are we supposed to get in there?!" Donald quacked angrily, waddling up to the enormous gates leading into the abandoned Heartless city.  
  
"Hey! Open up-!" Goofy began to call out before Riku tackled him.  
  
"Shh! We're kinda not wanted here, so try to keep it down!" He hissed as he climbed off of Goofy and walked up to the gate.  
  
Donald stomped up importantly and shoved on one of the huge doors with all his might, huffing and collapsing in a feathery heap a moment later. "It's locked." He declared, waddling back over to Kairi. "Now what do we do?"  
  
Riku glanced back at the duck before stepping forward and running his hand along the cold metal door. Planting his shoulder firmly against it, he shoved, stepping forward and bracing himself as the door slowly creaked open against his strength.  
  
"Hey!" Donald quacked as he spun around to glare at Riku. Kairi giggled and ran forward, patting him on the back as he stretched out his arm, trying to regain feeling in it.  
  
The vast Heartless city lay sprawled before them, Ansem's castle rested right in the middle of the ruined buildings. Kairi breathed an impressed sigh as she stepped in front of Riku, spinning around in surprise as a grinding sound filled their ears.  
  
"What's going on?" She called out, watching as the gates slammed shut behind them, locking them into the city and Goofy and Donald out. Another grinding noise filled their senses and she yelped as she looked back ahead.  
  
A tall cloaked figure stood in front of the second gates, which were quickly shutting behind him. A familiar grin flashed underneath the thick hood, and Kairi gasped in horror.  
  
"..Sora. Oh.." She choked, stepping back and gripping Riku's arm as he watched Oblivion materialize in Sora's gloved hands.  
  
"Sora, it's me, Kairi. Remember? You saved me just a few hours ago, from Ansem. I don't want to fight you, and I know you don't want to hurt us." She said bravely, a tremor of fear running up her spine as he raised his head.  
  
Blank, sea-blue eyes stared at them from under the hood, the grin disappearing as he took up a battle stance, raising Oblivion in front of him.  
  
"Sora!" Kairi cried as Riku threw her to the side, Oblivion slicing through the air where they had stood a second later.   
  
Riku dodged to the side, bringing his foot up into Sora's stomach as the keyblade whistled past his shoulder. He swung it around, slamming the edge of it against Riku's lower back, sending him to his knees as his leg froze.   
  
He cried out in pain and grabbed Sora's ankle, twisting it roughly and sending the keyblade wielder to the ground. His hood fell off, revealing his spiky hair. Kairi gasped, it had turned nearly black since the last time she had seen him.   
  
The two boys latched onto each other, biting, kicking, and punching at whatever they could reach as they tumbled around in the dirt. Blood splattered across the ground and Kairi forced her eyes closed for a moment, afraid to see which boy it belonged to.   
  
She heard Riku cry out again, looking up in time to see Sora slam him against the wall, bringing Oblivion back around and slamming it against the side of his head.  
  
Riku sprawled across the ground, clutching his head as Kairi ran to him. Blood soaked his hair and Kairi choked as she knelt by him, gripping his shoulders tightly.  
  
"Oh God.. Riku! Are you alright?" She sobbed, lifting his hand away to try to get a glimpse of the side of his head. A gash ran across his cheek from the keyblade, and several locks of his silver hair had been cut off.   
  
"Sora.." He looked up past Kairi, watching as Sora grinned down at them. "Kairi, run.." He choked, trying to shove her away from him.   
  
"Riku!" She cried as Sora grabbed her back of her shirt, yanking her roughly to her feet and throwing her away from him. He kicked Riku's side as he stepped over him, swinging Oblivion threateningly.  
  
Tears ran down Kairi's cheeks as Sora grabbed her again, slamming her up against the wall. He drew back the keyblade, giving her his trademark grin. She gasped, looking around for something to use against him.   
  
As he got ready to bring the keyblade down at her, she turned her head in a last effort to stop him, sinking her teeth into his exposed arm. He yanked it back in surprise as Kairi spat out a mouthful of his blood. Before he could react, however, she threw herself against him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his neck.  
  
"Sora, stop! Please! Look what you did to Riku! I know you don't want to hurt us!" She sobbed, her tears soaking the collar of his cloak.  
  
To her surprise, he paused, lowering the keyblade. She looked up a bit, seeing Riku struggling to get up over his shoulder.   
  
"Please, Sora. I love you." She whispered in his ear.  
  
~~~~ 


	10. Hero in Shadow

Disclaimer: I don't own it.  
  
I'll try to finish this story this week, if I can't get the rest of it out tonight. It's not very long, but I hope you guys like it anyway. I'm not even sure if anyone is still reading this, please review! Okay, this is where the sanity of this story totally goes to Hell.   
  
I'll create some fan art of this upcoming scene if you guys honestly can't visualize it, but keep in mind, it's modeled somewhat after the stair and doorway thing in the movie. Only with bookcases and metal balconies, m'kay?  
  
~  
  
"Please, Sora. I love you." Kairi whispered, hugging Sora as tight as she could. She made eye contact with Riku, fighting the urge to help him as he swayed weakly behind Sora. Oblivion disappeared, returning to key chain form in Sora's pocket.  
  
"… Oh God, Kairi..?" Sora whimpered, pushing her away from him and looking down at her. His sea-blue eyes managed to focus for a moment, fading back into their former blank appearance as he stumbled back.   
  
He spun around, stomach lurching as he saw Riku, silver hair dripping with blood. "No.. No!!" He screamed, falling to his knees as he ripped at his hair. A pool of shadow formed around his and he sank into it.  
  
"Sora, wait!" Kairi cried, dashing forward to grab him. She was too slow, he vanished into the shadows, his screams of anger reverberating around the gates. She collapsed in the dirt where he had been, pausing for a moment before standing back up and wiping her face off.  
  
"Riku.." She whispered, steadying him as the gates swung back open, Donald and Goofy barreling back inside.  
  
"What happened?!" They demanded, grabbing Riku as he passed out from blood loss.   
  
"Curaga!" Donald shouted, pointing his staff at Riku's limp form. He stopped bleeding, and Kairi watched in amazement as the gash across his cheek knitted itself back together. Donald cast Curaga again and they watched the gash as it quickly became a barely visible line against Riku's cheek.  
  
Kairi took out some water and a cloth, wiping the blood and dirt from his face and checking to see if all his wounds had closed up. She struggled to pull of his mangled t-shirt, throwing it aside and wiping the blood off of his chest, sighing in relief when the cuts all over his body appeared to have healed fairly well.   
  
"That's a powerful spell." She smiled gratefully up at Donald, shifting around until Riku's head rested in her lap. She absently washed the mess of blood from his hair as she looked up at Donald and Goofy.  
  
"How long until he wakes up?" She asked, hugging her friend protectively.  
  
Donald leaned down, "Not too long, he's pretty strong. It's the loss of blood we'll have to worry about, maybe you should go ahead. You don't have much time left." He quacked.   
  
Kairi gazed down at Riku, smiling sadly at the thought of leaving her friend in this state. "Alright, be careful." She said, leaning down and kissing his cheek before she stood up. She hugged Donald and Goofy before dashing out the gates, heading straight into the empty city.  
  
~  
  
The streets were generally deserted, but every once in a while Kairi would have to duck behind a wall as a Heartless wandered past. She snuck down the side-streets, weaving through the buildings as the castle loomed closer.  
  
After what seemed like hours, she finally started up the steps to the castle. As she approached it, the heavy doors swung open, revealing a dark hallway. Cautiously, she stepped inside, jumping as the doors shut behind her with a resounding boom.  
  
She gazed around at the hallway, noticing several doors and corridors branching off from it. She paused for a moment as she remembered Sora, puffing out her think chest and stomping angrily down the main hallway.  
  
A set of large double doors loomed before her, creaking open as she approached. She emerged into a wide circular room, the walls made out of stained glass windows reaching up to the ceiling. A long black table sat at the far end of the room, an empty matching leather chair behind it. Two spiral staircases rose from the floor on either side of the desk. The room was deserted.   
  
"Ansem!!" Kairi shouted, not caring if anyone else heard her. "I'm here you bastard! Give me back my islands and Sora!!" She yelled.   
  
It was silent for several minutes, and she was about to shout again when a tiny shadow Heartless rose out of the floor and wriggled its antennae at her. It began moving up one of the staircases, and Kairi leapt after it, nearly trampling it as she barreled up the stairs. It jumped up and latched onto her shoulder, but for some reason it didn't seem to bother her.  
  
"Ansem!!" She shouted again, skidding to a stop when the stairs opened into an enormous library. One wall was completely made from stained glass windows that each sported a Heartless emblem. Shelves upon shelves of books lined the walls and created and intricate maze across the floor, balconies twisting around the labyrinth of bookshelves and reaching all the way up to the ceiling. The sight of it took Kairi's breath away.  
  
She stepped farther inside, the Heartless skittering away to hide in the shadows as the sound of footsteps filled Kairi's senses. She spun around, stepping back as she realized that Ansem was standing right behind her. Taking a deep breath, she looked up into his bright orange eyes.  
  
"I'm here, now give me back my islands." She demanded, the hair on the back of her neck rising as he laughed.  
  
He reached into his pocket, drawing back out the black orb and levitating it inches from his palm. "This? Is that all?" He asked almost challengingly.   
  
Kairi almost gasped, "Release Sora, too. You have no right in keeping him!" She cried angrily, stomping her foot.  
  
Ansem laughed again. "That wasn't part of our agreement. I'll make a deal with you. You have twenty three minutes left, if you can reach Sora by then, you can have him. However, if you can't reach him in time, you have to stay here with me." He grinned wickedly at her.  
  
A chill ran down her spine as she gazed up at him, "Only if you restore my islands and return Riku, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto home." She said boldly.  
  
Ansem grinned down at her, the orb spinning rapidly before it vanished. "There, happy now?" He asked, leaning down toward her.  
  
She gave him a dark look and stepped back again. He only laughed. "You might want to get going, then. Only twenty two minutes left!" He said, watching as she stepped away from him and scanned the room.  
  
She caught a glimpse of Sora on the balcony above her, staring blankly down at her before vanishing around a bookshelf.  
  
"Sora!" She cried, dashing up a spiral staircase and flinging herself out onto the metal walkway. She looked over, Sora was seated comfortably on a walkway to her right, staring in the opposite direction.   
  
She sighed, this is going to be harder than I thought.  
  
~~~~ 


	11. Chaos Runs Rampant

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. I don't even own this computer.   
  
Okay, this story is almost over now, not very much left. In fact, I'll probably finish this story tonight. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Please review! And, Xytrusian, that was very observant of you! Actually, I had him say 23 cuz I really like that number. I dunno, maybe he has a clock in the library? A stop watch? Internal clock? I have no idea… He just, knows these things.:/  
  
~~~~~  
  
Kairi spun around and dashed down the walkway, swinging around and nearly throwing herself down the spiral staircase leading to the lower platforms. Stumbling around a sharp turn, she took the next staircase two steps at a time, tripping when she reached the top and cutting her knee.   
  
Frustrated tears threatened to run down her face, and she bit them back, huffing tiredly as she ran along. It was silent in the library, the only sound the frantic pounding of her feet on the cold metal walkways. Ansem watched from the floor, walking slowly around and appearing as though he couldn't care less.   
  
Sora walked dazedly along the platform to Kairi's right, ignoring her. She leaned over, fingers nearly touching the sleeve of his hoodie. Glancing quickly down, she swallowed her fear and hoisted herself over the railing, jumping onto the opposite platform. When she looked up again, Sora was gone.  
  
Ansem's voice rang out through the library, "Well, if you're going to play like that, then I suppose we need to make this a little more fair." He laughed.  
  
Kairi stared around in puzzlement, wondering what he had meant. Above her, a dark portal opened in the middle of the walkway. Sora emerged, staring blankly ahead as he continued down the aisle. Kairi cursed softly and ran ahead, boldly leaping into a portal as it opened in front of her. Immediately, she stumbled forward, landing awkwardly on a winding staircase.  
  
Startled, she looked up. Sora stood several feet down the walkway. He managed to turn and look at her, tears staining his usually cheery face. Stepping backward, he disappeared through another portal, Kairi calling after him as she grasped at the air where he had been. She darted forward, attempting to run through the portal after him, but it disappeared as she reached it.  
  
Stomping angrily on the metal floor, she rushed onward, throwing herself over the railing and pulling herself onto another platform. She ducked through a portal and stepped out onto the top floor. Sora was nowhere to be seen, so she spun around. Ansem stood in front of her, holding a small clock and smiling.  
  
"Seven minutes, Kairi. Better hurry." He grinned, floating up form the walkway and disappearing into the darkness below.   
  
Kairi ran to the railing and looked down in astonishment, the floor was covered in what appeared to be some kind of creeping black and purple fog. Gripping her hair tightly in one hand, she charged back through the portal, finding herself one floor down next to a staircase. A large bookshelf rose from the floor in front of her, blocking her view of the maze. Dashing along, she tripped and fell through another portal. She sprained her ankle, sprawling on the metal platform and grabbing the railing as she nearly slid off.  
  
"Sora.." She whimpered, closing her eyes as tears ran down her cheeks.   
  
Looking up, she noticed him across the walkway from her, watching her strained movements with his blank gaze. His eyes nearly focused for a second, returning to their blank state as he turned away from her.  
  
She shakily pulled herself to her feet, cringing in pain as her ankle scraped against the floor. Leaning heavily on the railing, she limped along, not bothering to wipe the frustrated tears from her face. Blood dripped down her leg from her knee, but she ignored it, focused on reaching the adjoining platform. She had to reach Sora, and she didn't care how.   
  
Ansem's voice reverberated around the room again, "Twenty eight seconds." He called smugly.  
  
Kairi's heart jolted. Sora stopped, leaning against the railing on the walkway to her left. He turned slowly and locked gazes with her. Tears still glistened on his cheeks.  
  
"Seventeen."   
  
Kairi leaned forward, holding out her hand as though he were standing right next to her. He closed his eyes, turning his face towards the ceiling.  
  
"Thirteen."  
  
Kairi gasped. Sora's body went limp, falling lightly over the edge of the railing. He slowly opened his eyes, focusing briefly as he stared at Kairi.   
  
"Eleven."  
  
Kairi's heart nearly stopped, and she hoisted herself neatly over the railing and pushed off from the platform. The wind whistled past her as they fell toward the floor, the black mist rising up around them.   
  
"Seven."  
  
Kairi closed her eyes, almost enjoying the sensation of the free fall as she reached out toward Sora.  
  
"Six."  
  
He looked up at her, pain etched across his vaguely childish features. She caught the faintest glimmer of hope as his hand twitched, fingers extending briefly as he fought the darkness engulfing his soul.  
  
"Five."  
  
Straining, Kairi held her hand out, nearly drawing even with Sora and they tumbled through the fog. Fresh tears were swept from her eyes by the wind, disappearing into the shadows.  
  
"Four."  
  
Sora gasped in pain, hand flying forward as he strained to grab Kairi.  
  
"Three."  
  
She smiled, fingers twining around his as she grabbed his hand. He cried out in agony as his eyes regained focus, deepening back into the brilliant shade of blue they had always been. His back arched in a spasm and he wrapped his trembling arms around Kairi's small form.  
  
"Two."  
  
Pulling her forward, he pushed his lips against hers, the two becoming oblivious to the black fog around them or the fact that they were still free falling. She was lost in the kiss, the thing she had been wanting most for the past few years.  
  
"One." Ansem growled darkly, voice fading into the mist as they continued falling.  
  
Kairi's heart lurched as she was pulled violently from Sora's grasp, crying out to him as he reached for her. He was shouting something, but she couldn't hear what. Within moments, he had disappeared into the mist. She hugged herself as she fell through the fog alone, hand reaching up and gripping Sora's crown pendant for reassurance. She swallowed her fear as the darkness enveloped her.  
  
~~~~ 


	12. Home

Disclaimer: I still can't spell it right!  
  
Okay, sorry this story was so short, here's the last chapter! Party time! Now all I have to do is finish Riku's Silence and I can start on the sequel to the Christmas fic! Please review and tell me how I did!  
  
~~~~~  
  
Slowly, Kairi opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling of her bedroom. She wasn't surprised. So, she thought sadly, it was just a dream after all. Sora and Riku.. She almost laughed at her own stupidity. Her head throbbed and she clamped a hand to it, snuggling back into her pillow. She sighed, tears gently running down her cheeks.   
  
Suddenly, she felt warm breath on her neck. Jumping slightly, she pushed herself up onto her elbows and stared down at the boy snuggled next to her. Feeling her movement, he woke up, shifting tiredly and lifting his head to look up into her startled face.  
  
"Kairi? Where are we?" He asked softly, wondering why he wasn't in pain. And where was Ansem? Those where usually the first two things to start his day, Ansem arriving and kicking him awake.  
  
Her hand shook as she reached forward. "Oh, God, it's really you.." She whispered, caressing his face. Lunging forward, she buried her face in his shoulder, hugging him tightly.  
  
He hugged her back. "Kairi, you actually did it.. You saved me." He nuzzled her neck happily, looking up sharply when a noise at the foot of the bed caught his attention.  
  
"Shit, my head." Riku groaned, pulling himself up and looking around. "How'd we get here?" he asked, realizing where they were.   
  
Kairi leapt forward. "Riku!! You're here!" She howled joyously, latching on around his neck as Sora followed. They tumbled back into a heap, laughing in relief.   
  
"Wow, I can't believe we're finally together again.." Kairi said dreamily, snuggling down between the two boys like she always used to. She looked up at them, "I never thought I would see you guys again," She trailed off, tears threatening to run down her cheeks.   
  
Hugging her tightly, they settled back against her bed, rocking her to sleep. They watched her exhausted form, breathing softly as she slept. Riku looked up at Sora, "Sora, I'm sorry." He whispered, looking away in shame.  
  
Sora shook his head, "Riku, I told you before, it wasn't your fault. It was Ansem, and he could have used anyone." He said sharply.  
  
Riku was silent, sighing tiredly and resting his head on Kairi's shoulder. He closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep, trying to forget about the place where he had spent the last two years of his life.  
  
~  
  
The front door slammed, and Kairi's parents stepped into the house. They gazed around angrily, noting how Kairi had neglected to clean anything while they were gone.  
  
"Kairi!" Her father shouted, throwing his coat aside and stomping into the kitchen. He stuck his head back out of the doorway, "KAIRI!" He yelled angrily up the stairs.  
  
Kairi awoke with a start, nudging the two boys awake and struggling to pull herself up. Riku leapt up, reaching down and gripping Kairi's arm firmly as he pulled her to her feet. Sora was already at the door, opening it slowly and peeking out into the hallway.  
  
Kairi shoved past him in slight panic. "Oh God, they're gonna kill me!" She whimpered, dashing down the stairs and barreling into the living room.  
  
Almost immediately, Sora and Riku could hear yelling. Charging down the stairs, they peered around the corner into the room. Kairi's stepmother was hurriedly picking up the bottles and cans, yelling angrily at Kairi as she did. Tears were running down Kairi's cheeks and she stared unhappily at the floor. Her father faced her, yelling at her about responsibility and various other things.  
  
Turning, she dashed toward the front door, stopping abruptly as she slammed into Sora. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. "What's going on?" He asked quietly, glaring at her father.  
  
"Hey, aren't you, Sora? And you, you're Riku. I thought you guys moved away." He chuckled, reaching out his hand. "Well, welcome back!" he said cheerfully.  
  
The two boys ignored him, turning back to Kairi. She sniffed, "I forgot to clean the living room and the kitchen, and their guests are due any minute.." She whispered, looking up sadly into Sora's face.   
  
"What? You forgot to clean and now you're in trouble?" Riku asked, surprised. Kairi nodded, burying her face back in Sora's shirt. "That doesn't seem right.." He stepped toward Kairi's father.  
  
"Well, she needs to learn responsibility!" He said, trying not to show that Riku was successfully intimidating him.  
  
"Responsibility? You think making this mess in the first place is responsible? And then yelling at Kairi because she doesn't like cleaning up after you?" His fist was shaking in anger as he stepped even closer to the older man.  
  
He puffed out his chest, looking down at Riku, "Are you trying to tell me how to raise my own child?" he asked threateningly.  
  
Riku stared at him for a moment, stepping forward with a disgusted look on his face. In a flash, he had slammed his fist into the man's jaw, blood trickling down his lip as he fell backward.  
  
Riku flexed his slightly sore hand, "Yes, because you obviously don't know how." He turned and stomped back out the door, Kairi and Sora scampering behind him.  
  
~  
  
Riku sat on the bent trunk of the paopu tree, watching the dark ocean waves before him. Sora and Kairi sat cuddled up together in the sand at the base of the tree.   
  
Riku looked down at his two friends, "Kairi?" He called.   
  
"Yeah?" She looked up at him expectantly.  
  
He sighed, "Thanks for rescuing us from Ansem." he said, turning his gaze back to the ocean.  
  
She smiled, "You're welcome, but I wish I had known where you were earlier, I spent two years thinking that you were dead!" She giggled, "And, thanks for standing up to my dad for me.. Even though I'll have to move in with Selphie tomorrow morning." She giggled, finding the thought comforting. Anything to get out of her own house.   
  
Riku sighed happily, unable to believe he was actually home. He leaned back on the paopu tree and stretched out, crossing his arms behind his head and closing his eyes. He didn't care that they hadn't stopped Ansem, didn't even care that Kairi would never love him the same way she loved Sora. It seemed like the only thing that mattered in the world was Destiny Islands, and how great it felt to be back. He slowly opened an eye to watch as scuffling noises drifted up from under the paopu tree.   
  
Sora stood carefully to his feet, pulling Kairi up after him and looking cautiously toward Riku. When the older boy didn't move, he stepped forward, grasping Kairi's hand tightly. She clamped a hand over her mouth to stop from giggling, pushing him forward as they snuck away.  
  
When he was sure they weren't paying attention to him anymore, Riku looked up. He couldn't help but smile as he watched the two go running happily across the beach, fingers entwined and laughter ringing softly around the empty island. He was happy for both of them, they were both his best friends and he wanted them to be happy, something Sora hadn't been in years.   
  
Just seeing the brunette smiling and laughing again seemed to lift a huge weight from Riku's shoulders, leaving him feeling rather alone, but content. He watched as Kairi pulled Sora toward the secret place. Heaving a peaceful sigh, Riku leapt down from the paopu tree, walking slowly across the dark beach toward the dock.   
  
Kairi's startled yelp rang out around the island, followed closely by Sora's joyful laughter. Riku smiled, swinging himself down into his boat and making his way home. He hadn't attempted talking to his family yet, and he hoped they wouldn't have the same reaction as Sora's mother had.   
  
Laughing quietly to himself at the thought of his own mother breaking down in sobs and latching onto him. He cast one last glance back at the island as he drifted home, wondering how they would explain everything to Selphie when Kairi showed up on her doorstep the next day. Leaning back in the boat, he stared up at the clear purple sky, swinging his legs over the side of the boat and settling down. He knew the swift ocean currents would take him to the shores of the main island. Heaving another heavy sigh, he gazed up at the stars.   
  
They seemed so bright and happy, reminding him of Traverse Town. It always seemed dark there, probably because the nights were generally so much longer than the days. He missed that town, he hadn't stayed there long, but he had liked it there. Maybe someday he would go back, after he knew Kairi and Sora would be alright without him. He wanted to talk to Squall and his friends, Ansem hadn't talked about them very much, but they had helped Sora a lot during his little quest thing or whatever he had referred to it as.  
  
Riku smiled again, determination showing. Only seven months, and he would be 18. If Kairi and Sora were alright, then he would go then. Even after spending so long wishing he was on Destiny Islands, he couldn't help but long for travel again now that everything was back to normal.  
  
A shout from up ahead jolted him out of his thoughts, Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie were all sitting in a boat playing some kind of card game. When they had noticed Riku, they nearly tipped the boat over in their rush to greet him.   
  
"RIKU!! You ARE back!!" Selphie howled with glee, pushing Tidus excitedly and laughing when he fell into the ocean.   
  
Wakka leapt out of his seat, diving in after Tidus and following him over to Riku's boat, which they promptly tipped over.  
  
"Oh, hey guys. What's up?" He laughed, enjoying the familiar feel of the ocean around him again. He ducked under, running his hands though his silver hair in an attempt to rid himself of the smell of Heartless, replacing it with the usual scent of ocean and paopu. Yawning suddenly, he tried to pull himself back into his boat, but Wakka grabbed his foot and pulled him back in.   
  
"Come on, Riku! Don't go yet!" Tidus groaned, leaning on his shoulder in a mock attempt to push him under.  
  
"Ya, we haven't seen you in forever!" Wakka cried, reaching back into the boat and retrieving his blitzball as Selphie hopped around, rocking the boat dangerously.   
  
Riku sighed, watching as Tidus reached up and tripped Selphie, ducking under the waves as she tumbled in. This is gonna be a long seven months, he thought to himself, hiding a grin.  
  
~~~~  
  
The End  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~ 


End file.
